1960 Census Information

Highlights:

18th Decennial Census.

U.S. Population: 179,323,175.

Cost: $127,934,000.

Questions (Population):

For the first time in 1960, the Census Bureau mailed out a combined population and housing questionnaire to all urban residents in the United States. Residents were to complete the questionnaire themselves and hold it until an enumerator came visit and collect the form. Enumerators then gave an additional sample questionnaire to 25 percent of households, with instructions to mail it back to their census office. Rural residents were enumerated by traditional visitation. The census "short form" collected only five questions: relationship to head of household, age, sex, race, and marital status. The census questionnaire and enumerators collected the following information, listed by question number:

Population

Name

Relationship to head of household

Sex

Race or color

Date of birth

Marital status

Place of birth

If foreign born, what is the person's mother tongue?

Birth country of person's father

Birth country of person's mother

When did this person move into this house or apartment? The following categories were listed on the form:

In 1959 or 1960

In 1958

In 1957

April 1955 to December 1956

January 1954 to March 1955

1950 to 1953

1940 to 1949

1939 or earlier

Always lived at this place

Did the person live in this house on April 1, 1955?

Born April 1955 or later

Yes, this house

No, different house
Where did he live on April 1, 1955?

City or town

Did he live inside of the city limits?

County
State, foreign country, U.S. possession, or etc.

What is the highest grade this person has attended in school?

Did the person finish that highest grade?

Has the person attended regular school or college at any time since February 1, 1960?

Was it a public or private school?

If this person has ever been married, has this person been married more than once?

What month and year did the person get married? If he has been married more than once, what was the month and year of his first marriage?

If this is a woman who has ever been married, how many babies has she ever had, not counting stillbirths?

Was this person born before or after April 1946?

If the person was born before April 1946...

Did this person work at any time last week?

If yes, how many hours did he work last week at all jobs?

Was this person looking for work, or on a layoff from a job?

Does this person have a job or business from which he was temporarily absent last week because of illness, vacation, or other reasons?

When did the person last work, even for a few days?

Working now

In 1960

In 1959

1955 to 1958

1950 to 1954

1949 or earlier

Never worked

Occupation

This person last worked in 1949 or has never worked

This person is on active duty in the armed forces now

This person worked in 1950 or later

For whom did he work?

What kind of business or industry was it?

Was the industry primarily...

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade

Retail trade

Other (services, agriculture, government, construction, etc.)

What kind of work was this person doing?

Was this person...

Privately employed

A government employee

Self-employed

Working without pay

What city and county did this person work in last week?

How did this person get to work last week?

Railroad

Subway or elevated train

Bus or streetcar

Taxicab

Private auto or carpool

Walk only

Worked at home

Other

Last year, did this person work at all?

How many weeks did this person work, either full time or part time?

How much did this person earn in 1959 in wages, salary, commissions, or tips for all jobs?

How much did he earn in 1959 in profits or fees from working in his own business, professional practice, partnership, or farm?

Last year, how much income did this person receive from Social Security, pensions, veteran's payments, rent (minus expenses), interest or dividends, unemployment insurance, welfare payments, etc?

Has this person ever served in the Army, Navy, or other Armed forces?,br /> If so, was it during the Korean War, World War II, World War I, or at another time?